


A Pain You Can't Imagine

by Riverthunder



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Discussions of Going to Hell, Gen, Implied Murder, IronStrange, M/M, Peter Parker Dies, Peter is adopted, Revenge, Stephen Strange Needs a Hug, Stephen Strange is Peter's Dad, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is Peter's Dad, Tony is Peter's Nightlight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-04 23:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16798945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riverthunder/pseuds/Riverthunder
Summary: Peter Parker is killed when he's on a mission with Steve. His fathers, Tony and Stephen, are distraught, and vow to have their revenge for their lost son.





	A Pain You Can't Imagine

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by _After All_ by Christine Ebersole.
> 
> _After All_ Lyrics: [Here](https://youtu.be/1HqYt4By4pk)  
>   
>  _What would a father not do for his child?_  
>  _What lengths would a father not go?_  
>  _There’s a bond that exists between father and child_  
>  _With no end to how strong it can grow_  
>  _It’s a promise for life between father and child_  
>  _It begins from the moment of birth_  
>  _And you're shaken to your soul_  
>  _With an ache you’ve never known_  
>  _And you look into their eyes_  
>  _And find you’re looking in your own_

The day Peter died, Tony and Stephen had essentially died as well.  
They'd seen it on the news first. A breaking news report- _Spider-Man is dead_. Tony had dropped his mug and screamed, screamed and screamed at the TV, because that wasn't right. That couldn't be right. That couldn't be true.  
Stephen had been frozen, staring at the screen as the reporter detailed what had happened, trying to piece it together for himself.  
How could Peter possibly be dead?  
He was with Steve- Steve Rogers- _Captain America_. Who better to keep their son safe, besides themselves?  
_I’ll take good care of him._  
The liar. The _liar_.  
Tony ordered FRIDAY to show them what had happened.  
Steve was dodging, dancing away from the villain's blows- and then, as he was lunged for, he shot towards Peter, and danced away. The blow meant for Steve landed on the boy instead- and it was all that was needed.  
Tony cried as Peter lay motionless on the ground, bleeding out. Stephen gripped his shoulders comfortingly. He tried to think of some way to console his beloved- but none came to him.  
He buried his face in Tony’s hair and hugged him close instead.

~(*)~

Peter was dead, and Steve was still alive. And the worst part was that if Steve hadn't chosen to leap towards Peter, their son would never have been left to bleed out alone.  
Tony hated Steve with passion. He wanted him to suffer and bleed and feel how broken Tony was.  
Stephen had suggested that perhaps they shouldn't be so hasty- perhaps Steve really did feel their pain- but Stephen was not convinced after he saw Steve’s smile when he returned home, walking to accept Bucky’s embrace.  
His face only fell when it was time to face the grieving fathers. Stephen felt a sudden, seething hatred at the sympathetic look Steve shot him- as if he could ever understand Stephen’s pain.  
They had raised him since he was a broken five year old, a child who had lost everything. He'd been forced to hear that his aunt and uncle- essentially his only parents or family, when his real parents were traitors- had been killed in a car accident. The poor thing had had nightmares for years.  
Stephen remembered the day they met, how he'd held out his trembling, scarred hand, and the boy had taken it, looking wary.  
He remembered the boy glancing curiously at Tony’s chest, where the arc reactor gleamed under his shirt.  
He remembered the night the power had gone out a few weeks after he’d officially become their son, and he'd come running into their room, crying in fear with his nightlight gone.  
He remembered how he'd calmed down as Tony murmured soothingly to him, how Tony had joked that he would be Peter’s nightlight.  
He remembered falling asleep with one arm draped over Tony and Peter, Tony’s arm draped over his side, Peter nestled between them with one hand pressed to Tony’s arc reactor.  
He was disgusted by the thought that that sweet child, that innocent, clever, gentle little boy, was gone forever because Steve Rogers, all smiles for Bucky and all sympathy for Tony and Stephen, had put him in harm’s way.  
“I changed my mind,” Stephen spat as Steve left, returning to Bucky’s side. “I want to wipe that condescending look off his face forever.”  
Tony was rigid at Stephen’s side, then slowly reached down to intwine their fingers.  
“Together,” he murmured, a cold determination in his voice.  
“Together,” Stephen agreed, gripping Tony’s hand firmly.  
Neither of them cared that Peter wouldn't have wanted vengeance. It didn't matter if he wanted to be avenged or not. What mattered was Steve had let Peter die, and Steve was fine. What mattered was that Peter was dead, and so were his fathers.  
Neither of them cared much for how their story would end after they had gotten what they wanted.  
All stories had endings.  
If their story must end, at least it would end how it was meant to: with them both declaring one final time what mattered most to the pair of them.

~(*)~

It was surprisingly easy to become fixated on vengeance. The bloodlust was all either of them thought about during their waking hours.  
The only exceptions were in the mornings, when they spoke to a small shrine of pictures made for Peter, reminding him they loved him and apologizing to him for what they were going to do.  
The other was in the evenings, when they would share dinner and tender kisses.  
They were still in love.  
Just because they were on the path to their destruction didn't mean they couldn't still remind each other that they would always be in love.  
Tony kissed Stephen’s cheek one evening, sitting on the Sorcerer Supreme’s lap, a dull fire roaring in his gentle brown eyes. “I love you,” he breathed against Stephen’s skin.  
The sorcerer smiled back, a kind look in his green eyes. “And I love you.”  
Tony paused. Slowly ran his fingers through Stephen’s silvery hair.  
“If there is a heaven,” he murmured, “we’re not getting in after this.”  
“I know,” Stephen murmured. He looked down and closed his eyes, blinking back tears. Would Peter be upset? Or was he pleased he'd never see the pair again?  
Stephen gently pressed a hand to Tony’s arc reactor, looking back up at his husband. “Promise me,” he murmured, “that even if we go to hell, we’ll stay by each other’s sides.”  
Tony hugged Stephen around the neck, and buried his face there as Stephen rested his chin on the scientist’s shoulder. “I promise,” Tony said, his voice a soft sigh. “There's no one else I'd rather have by my side in hell.”

~(*)~

They'd thought it would be harder to kidnap Steve Rogers.  
It was almost laughably easy.  
America’s hero was a woefully defended one.  
Tony glared at him as he stared at him, waiting for him to wake up.  
“Patience, love,” Stephen murmured. “There's no need to rush.”  
Tony glanced back at Stephen, then nodded his assent. “You're right,” he sighed.  
“We’ve worked hard for this,” Stephen said softly. “Can you believe it all comes together today?”  
Tony looked over at Stephen, pain in his brown eyes. “Today is the day I lose you.”  
“Don't be silly,” Stephen smiled. “Even in hell I will always be by your side. Don't cry, love,” he added, as Tony wiped away a few stray tears. “We can still turn back if you want to.”  
Tony looked up, fury blazing in his eyes. “Never,” he growled. “We make him pay.”  
“Think it through, love. We could go home. Watch a movie. Eat dinner. We could live out the rest of our lives.” Stephen reached out, gently cupping Tony’s face in his hand. “Perhaps one day we could see Peter in heaven.”  
Tony was quiet as he stared down at the floor. Then he slowly raised his head, a kind of hatred in his eyes. “Let's make him pay.”  
Stephen smiled sadly at his husband’s response, and kissed his lips gently.  
“Then I promise I will be by your side in hell,” Stephen breathed against Tony’s lips. “I'd want no one else by my side.”  
Steve stirred in his bonds and looked up, shock crossing his features at the sight of Stephen and Tony watching him as he tested the ropes tying him to the chair.  
“What's going on?” Steve demanded. “Help me get loose.”  
“No.” Tony’s voice was cold.  
“N-?” Steve began, but Tony didn't let him finish.  
“No. You're not getting out of this one, Rogers.” Tony moved to put on a glove containing a nanotech repulsor.  
“I'm afraid we’ve decided we cannot allow you to continue your life, Steve,” Stephen said, getting to his feet. “You allowed our child to die. The possibility that you could put someone else through our pain again is too much.”  
Steve stared at him. “Peter died ten months ago!”  
“Yes,” Stephen agreed. “Our plan has been in the making for a while.”  
“You're...you're insane.”  
He shook his head slowly at Steve, a disgusted look on his face. “If we're insane, it's because you drove us here. We trusted you to protect our son. You put him directly in death’s path.”  
Tony glared at Steve, his eyes still shining with hatred. “He's right.”  
A relieving calm was falling over them now. Soon it would be done.  
Soon they would be free of this hell where Peter was dead and unavenged.

~(*)~

“We loved our son more than you could ever know,” Stephen spat. “We raised him and protected him. We saw him develop a desire to help and protect others. We saw how he became attached to everyone- but especially how he admired _you_. The first of your kind.”  
“And we were naive enough to believe that you would protect him,” hissed Tony furiously. “We really, truly believed that you would look after our son and keep him safe.”  
“We trusted you. And for what?” Stephen was crying now, and he laughed through the tears. “For a dead son.”  
He remembered the day Peter had first referred to them as Dad and Papa rather than Tony and Stephen.  
He remembered coming with Tony to Career Day and feeling overjoyed at the pride on Peter’s face as Tony told the kids what he did.  
He remembered the way Peter had dashed into the house with his first place science fair trophy, begging Tony and Stephen to come see it.  
He remembered the day Peter had confessed to him and Tony that he was Spider-Man, and the pride that he had felt.  
“You can't do this,” Steve said, panic in his blue eyes as Tony fired up the repulsor and Stephen began to cast a spell.  
“Watch us,” Stephen spat back coldly.  
“Peter wouldn't want this!” Steve yelled. “A real father would never do this!”  
“A father would do anything for his child,” Tony growled. “A father would swim any sea or scale any mountain. A father has a certain bond with his child.” He laughed mirthlessly, pointing the repulsor at Steve’s chest as Stephen did the same with his spell. “Ah, but then again, Steve…. _how would you know_?”

**Author's Note:**

> _What would a father not do for his child?_   
>  _What lengths would a father not go?_   
>  _There’s a bond that exists between father and and child_   
>  _Ah, but then again_   
>  _How would you know?_
> 
> Please feel free to follow me on tumblr!  
>  Riverthunder’s Tumblr Blog
> 
> Or to follow my Marvel RP Blogs!  
>  IronStrange Family & Avengers Team FAQ & Masterlist


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